Bathtime
by Kondoru
Summary: It's the Dragon Knights bath night. But as this is Lacryma, don't be suprised if it ends in tears.


BATHTIME by KONDORU

Standard Disclaimers

Thanks to JP for Betaing

* * *

Kuina strode though the dark corridors of the Reizu Monastery, lost in thought.

He almost bumped into two of the Dragon Soldiers.

"Be careful, Master," one of them stepped aside, his quarterstaff scraping the metal floor.

Kuina looked up suddenly, "Sorry, gentlemen."

"He was lost in thought." Offered the other soldier.

"Yes, I was planning " Kuina admitted, laughing slightly.

"Making plans now? For tonight?" Everyone knew the bathhouse was reserved for Kuinas Elite Dragon Knights, the finest of the Order. (And perpetual thorns in the Lacryman Rulers backsides.)

"Yes." Kuina replied. He left nothing to chance. "I need soap." He muttered to himself. "Where is the soap?"

The two soldiers bowed slightly, and took their leave. They managed to keep from laughing until they rounded the corner in the labyrinth monastery. "Old Kuina certainly was out of it."

But you couldn't fault his dedication to his duty...Which was Care and Feeding of certain Birds.

Kuina, still lost in thought, entered the corridor of his Knights quarters...Probably one of them

would have a bar.

The Dragon Knights were allowed privacy (as much as their heavily bugged cells allowed) and leisure time. They had possessions, and hobbies and regular gate passes so they could become familiar with the less privileged folk of Uptown, that and get known for the heroes they were.

But they were always under very strict discipline. They were forbidden what ghastly concoction passed for alcohol. Relationships both in and out of the order were also a big verboten. (Not that after being put though the Quantum mill anyone felt like anything.) Life was very harsh.

The Knights personal needs were few. They ate sparingly, more out of habit than real hunger. (Though experimentation had proven that a knight cut off from their usual daily dose of reizu developed genuine physical need for solid nourishment) Kuina had organised mealtimes, during which reizu water or fungus gruel were served up. These were more for routine and socialisation purposes than feeding. Sulky and apathetic as his mismatched flock was, they had all a very strong sense of loyalty, not just to Lacryma, but to each other. Even Atori, who was psychotic, had very well developed urges to protect his comrades. Teaming him up with the vunerable Tobi had been a stroke of genius on Kuinas part. They complemented each other so well.

Nor did they possess any clothing. The Knights wore Layze, the solid form of Reizu, which

formed a skintight layer on their bodies, making them look like a failed death metal band.

This covered all except their reizu spiralled arms and heads (many ordinary soldiers of the

order had completely covering suits) over that went a great black cloak of layze, which was the habit of their order.

This was seldom dispelled. The Knights lived in it. Apart from the frequent medicals they underwent, the only other time it was removed was bathtime.

Kuina always took satisfaction in being able to run a quick eye over his plucked birds. He was always updated on their medical records of course, but he liked to see for himself if they were in the pink of health.

Kuinas life was devoted to not only Lacryma, and the Reizu order, but his Knights, he spent a lot of his time in cadging favours for his avian charges from the Rulers, who would have been perfectly happy to see the Dragon Knights stored in sensory deprivation tanks between battles. (There were days he almost agreed with this.) To be a Dragon Knight ended in death; their lives were measured in months rather than years, and as Kuina and Amamiku wisely pointed out. Loss of Being was what the Shangrilans suffered. Miserable as Lacryma was, everyone was still human.

Just about.

The cells his birds were housed in were identical, and offered a degree of nonluxury unknown to lesser members of the order.

The walls and floor were dark steel; the bunks were also of that soft, yielding material. The accommodation was spartan, if not actually brutalist.

But the Knights were familiar with the life of the deprived Uptowners and the grimly ascetic Downtowners.

Lacryma wasn't a gentle world.

However they all had their own toilets (scratched steel, reused from other older units.) and coolers of the vital reizu altered water. (Which sometimes leaked, or some idiot forgot to turn off the faucet (1) or failing that the faucet refused to open) Water was not scarce in Lacryma, but the vast majority of it was contaminated with bacteria, silt and heavy metals.

The first of the cells was Tobis.

` Tobis and Isukas cells were connected to Atoris, which was the one that was in the middle.

Atori suffered from `problems` and those Dragon Knights were the only ones who could calm

him and hopefully keep him from one of his destructive rages.

Tobi was not in, so Kuina slid back the door and entered.

The whole place stank of clapped out electronics damp magazines and incontinence. Kuina

gagged. He had no idea why his Dragon Knights, the finest and most advanced warriors known to Humanity, liked to live in such squalor. This was a monastic order, and they were supposed to be ascetics dammit. His Knights were supplied with very few personal belongings, but somehow managed to amass a magpies nest of junk.

Tobi must have been the most junkiest.

Of course, when you live in a postapocalypic world, there's lots of fascinating bits and pieces of electronic crap to acquire, and fool with. Tobi evidently moonlighted as a Home computer expert.

His room was piled high with defunct PCs; even his bunk was covered in them, and showed no sign of use. There were bottles of half-used purple hair dye in the corner.

Kuina stepped though the party door into Atoris room.

The stale urine smell was stronger; Atoris room was dark, with soft toys lurking in corners,

sweet wrappers crunched underfoot. Atoris patchwork quilt was rucked up, but there was no sign of the madman. Kuina idly wondered if Tobi slept in Atoris bed, and how he liked being wetted upon in the night.

There was also a stack of PCs in the corner, and what looked like one of Isukas punch bags.

The Third room was Isukas, Tobis PC army, had also invaded it; cornering Isukas bullworker, and were now intimidating his piles of manga.

And Isuka was in.

He was sat reading a bodybuilding rag.

"Have you seen Tobi and Atori?" Kuina asked lamely, rather in trepidation at what those two

could be up to.

"Them, oh, Tobis just popped out; he's picking up Atori from kindergarten."

It was that bad. Kuina decided not to say anything. How would he explain this to the Rulers?

"I'm sure they will be back in a minute." Isuka continued calmly. "What was it you wanted?"

"Its bathnight and I cannot find any soap."

"Uhh, I ran out a few weeks back." Isuka smiled, "got a pretty big body to use it on, " he gave

a slight laugh. "Could I have a bigger bar next time?"

"Um, they all come in the same size." His commander told him.

Having drawn a blank. Kuina stepped across the corridor.

This time he knocked.

Karasu was in, and slid back the door with a mental command.

Kuina stepped though.

Karasus room smelt of recently cut wood. Shavings drifted underfoot. His room was quite as

untidy as his comrades, but somehow more wholesome. Carvings were on shelves, and there was a stack of wood in one corner. Karasu sat on his bunk, giving empty space his habitual brooding look.

Kuina had never fathomed the tormented Karasu out. The initiate who was to become Karasu

had joined the order five years ago. Most Uptowners joined the Order to get regular water and rations. There was no ideals in Lacryma. Karasu was an unhappy young man who had suffered an irreversible setback in love. He now wanted to make sense in the horrible chaos that was Lacryma. Inevitably this meant bashing Noein.

Karasu was driven, and so he had been referred to the Joain Project, as Lady Amanmikus scheme was named. This was a cutting edge refinement of the Reizu technology, altering humans on

the quantum level.... All of the Dragon Soldiers underwent a certain degree of this; they all wore Layze, the material aspect of reizu, which armoured them, and bore the famous spiral bands of layze about their arms, which allowed them to connect together in a limited gestalt mind, and bend the laws of physics.

To become a Dragon Knight was a degree further.

This meant spending up to five years in a stasis chamber in the reizu computer itself. (A cunning combination of bioengineering and quantum mechanics) being altered in every aspect of their being.

They were then implanted with the advanced Spin weaponry, Nanones which eventually grew and replaced their entire nervous system. Whereas their blood was now pure reizu (with spectacular results if wounded) their nerves were now a potent vessel for channelling that energy.

Finally, the Quantum umbilicals were fitted to them. These were on each hip, plumbed deeply

into the knights femurs and marrow. A cable connected each to the enhanced spinal cords.

Each umbilical was a socket, into which a plug connecting the Knight directly to the reizu

computer could be fitted.

In normal everyday life the Knights seldom needed to be jacked in. Even when fighting the

dreaded Shangrila Destructors, mechaorganic devices of fearsome weaponry Noein used to attack the self absorbed Lacrymans.

No, the reizu umbilicals came into their own when the Knights made a trip though time using the Quantum transporter, a device very much still in the experimental stage.

The reizu pipeline would remain connected throughout the dimensions, feeding the intrepid

Knight both sustaining reizu, and the reality he would need to keep existing, as in alternative worlds they would be at risk of rejection and eventual fading away.

The pipeline would also be used to haul the Knight safely back to Lacryma.

But under short distances the mechanism was also useful. And Kuinas Knights had become

resigned to being forcibly hauled though spacetime to the Transporter room, whilst in the middle of a football match, sly nap, or bout of homicidal mania.

No wonder Karasus hair was prematurely gray.

Kuina tugged his beret in annoyance. He repeated his request to the sulking young man.

"No, I haven't any." Karasu told his leader sullenly.

"What happened to it? I see that you are issued a bar every three months...And I have to

account for every credit I spend on you louts to the Rulers."

Karasu frowned; he was contemplating his carving knives as if he was going to pick one up

and start carving away. In such a state he was oblivious to pretty much everything.

"I suppose you washed with it?" Prompted Kuina.

"I used it cleaning my new wood. It's pretty mucky when I find it. I can't carve it as it is."

`Thank you Karasu!` Swore Kuina mentally.

"You're issued that soap to `wash yourself with`! Not for other purposes." Explained Kuina.

"You gave it to me, no questions or demands as to what it was for." Grumbled the sulky Karasu.

"Um, I thought you knew what it was for." Kuina said innocently.

"Mine, I do as I please." Snapped Karasu and picked up his knife.

His commander stomped out in a huff.

Next door was Fukuros.

Fukuro was in, which was unusual, he seemed to be out a lot of the time.

Fukuro was a happy go lucky young man with a winning smile, and a jaunty ponytail, there

were no demons in his soul.

He lay back upon his steel bunk, passing a football from hand to hand to head to foot and

back again. His cell was a lot cleaner than the previous. Fukuro had heard of such notions as housework. The dog eared books were stacked neatly, his blanket folded properly and the place was altogether welcoming.

As evinced by the empty rotgut bottles on the dresser.

Kuina was in no mood for a lecture on drink, much as his subordinate needed one. "I'm looking for some soap, he asked, its bathnight, as you know."

Fukuro shook his head. He had given his bar to friends in Uptown.

Kuina grunted, he couldn't condemn this, Fukuro was the most social and in many way normal of his Dragon Knights, who ranged from the permanently grumpy to the psychotic. He let `this` Knight get away with all sorts of harmless mischief, such as winning of everyone else's gate passes in card games.

"Kosagi has some I expect. Go see her, she's in this morning." Advised the smiling one eyed

Knight.

Kuina took his leave. He paused outside the door to Kosagis cell.

Kosagi, ah, Kosagi, who suffered from sheer bloody-mindedness.

And femaleness.

Which was worse.

Kosagi was worth a hundred female soldiers, (but then, all of his knights were worth a

hundred ordinary soldiers.) She was tough, she was dauntless, she was brave, and she was clever.

Kosagi was not beautiful, there was no beauty in Lacryma, except the beautiful horrors that

was Shangrila.

Kosagi made everyone nervous.

Kuina just knew that Kosagi would have soap. Its just she might not be willing to share.

Being very brave, he did knock. "It's me, Kuina," he called.

The door snapped back, a little too swiftly for decent taste.

Kuina had a sword collection; Kosagis interest was archery. She had a shelf of books and

DVDs she had scrounged on the subject. (Another objection to Kosagis ways; most books and the like were owned in common; Kosagi kept hers to herself.) And a big widescreen TV sat on the shelf above her bunk. (Working TVs were incredibly rare in Lacryma.) Not that there were any broadcasts in the World of Tears. By the looks of it, Kosagi had salvaged (probably with the help of Tobi) a selection of media playing devices.

Kosagis water cooler evidently leaked, as she had a plastic container underneath it.

It was no surprise that the Knights who lived on one side of the corridor were best pals, and

often rivals with those across the way. Fukuro, Kosagi and even Karasu were one faction, and Atori, Tobi and Isuka the other.

Kosagi `did` indeed have a bar of soap. Not the original, but she had managed to get another.

She gave her commander one of her patent ugly looks. Kosagi did not get on with Kuina. As a matter of fact, she got on with nobody, with the possible exception of Fukuro. "Me, share my soap with a group of smelly men?"

"We are your fellow Dragon Knights." Kuina doubted this argument would move the implacable woman.

"It's bad enough that I have to `share` the bath with a group of smelly men."

Kuina sighed. Water that was clean enough so you didn't need a bath after getting in it was hard to come by in Lacryma. He couldn't spare any for just one of his warriors. Kosagi was free to use the water after the others had finished. But she never did this.

It was always Kuinas secret fantasy to share a bath with his lone female Knight, She would wash his sensitive Spin weapon enhanced spine. Of course, she already washed his back, everyone and anyone washed others backs at random, and imparted a satisfying rub as well, but that was public. Think of the fun they could have in private!

He had seen her naked of course, and she had seen him, (and everyone else) but privacy was

limited in their lives.

Even, he thought, in his bunk at night, where his delight could not show on his face, he

might even `kiss` her if he was feeling `very` brave.

He wanted Kosagi all to his greedy little self.

Kuina tried his final tack. "Do you want to go unsoaped like that dirty Noein?"

Kosagi scowled darkly at the mention of their class enemy. Her pink hair bristled. Kuina

wondered if he had pushed his Knight too far. She turned round, tugging open a locker. She fumbled inside, and thrust a half used bar of soap into Kuinas unsuspecting hand.

"Thank you. I'll be seeing you tonight."

Back in the corridor he met the two mismatched Knights. "I see you're back." A slightly smiling Atori ambled into his room, Kuina collared Tobi in the corridor, blocking him with an outstretched arm. "Just `what` are you doing taking Atori to Kindergarten?"

Tobi withered. "Um, he needs someone to play with. I wanted to go check out my contacts, so

that was the best place to leave him. He likes to play with the children."

"Tobi...Atori is `not` a small child. For a start has two feet taller than you. "

"I'm pretty small" admitted the bantamweight Dragon Knight.

"Then there's the fact he's reached puberty."

Kuina doubted Tobi had.

"He's been chemically castrated. Don't you read his medical records?"

Kuina gave the smallest Dragon Knight a hard look. "Yes, I do read his records...They keep me awake at night, do Atoris records."

Tobi shrank back into his habit. "Atori needs some diversion from his problems."

"I need peace of mind! Letting Atori loose in the upper levels is not conductive to my

nerves,"

"He's not `loose`." Grumbled Tobi "He's with either me or Isuka, don't worry."

"And can `you` restrain him if he has a brainstorm? I think not." Growled Kuina. "Even Isuka

might have trouble."

Tobi shook his head, purple braids swinging. "Relax, I think of `everything`. Atori isn't allowed out of our quarters without a pipeline. The Watchers keep an eye upon his brain activity. Anything abnormal begins; they yank him back to the transportation room and psych ward."

Kuina could see the sense in this; but for one thing.

"What about his plug?" For as everyone knew, plugging in the pipeline was never forced upon a Knight.

"Oh, I thought of that. Atori knows I'll give him sweets when we get back." He ducked under

Kuinas arm into the door, "Atori, Atori, here's your treat for being good at kindergarten!"

the door slid shut behind him.

Kuina sighed. What would the Rulers say when they heard that the most unstable of their precious (and expendable. But Kuina was resigned to that.) Dragon Knights was attending kindergarten.

At least now he had his soap.

* * *

This is Shangrila...

.... Shangrila is a place of blue sky, fluffy white clouds amid the perpetual sunshine, and green grass that ruffles gently in the wind.

There isn't anything else there except a few austere cities (some floating in the sky) the inhabitants are all disembodied, mostly forming a Gestalt mind.

The Master of Shangrila is Noein, a transencendent being of supreme power.

Noein lived in a palace of weird shifting walls; he spent his time in plotting.

Plotting supreme rule and destruction of the Multiverse.

This being of utter Law wanted just one thing.

Compulsory Enlightenment for all sentient beings.

But today, Noein was about to have a bath.

He had summoned a bath full of hot water with a single thought. Noein inspected the installation (pure white rococo style.)

Perfect.

Noein took off his mask, revealing red eyes. His look was deranged, a combination of Atoris

psychosis and Karasus torment, of Kosagis damnation and Isukas ferocity, even of Tobis

intelligence and Fukuros charm.

Noein was scary to see.

He pulled off his white robe of nothingness, to reveal his emaciated form.

Unlike a starved Dragon Knight, this had no pink of human health.

Keeping on his nonexistent underwear (for Noein was constantly ashamed of his parts,

regarding them as a mark of continued humanity) he stepped into the tub.

Water slopped out, but Noein was sufficiently Evil not to care about the flooring.

He bustled about for a minute, slopping more out.

Noein fished the sponge from under his skinny backside and searched around a bit more.

He couldn't find it. Where was it?

He was missing the soap.

Now Noein, in spite of his professed humanitarian leanings, quite liked misery in others. He could not stand setbacks personally though.

He scowled at the uncaring blue sky.

Noein summoned a party of his nameless Minions.

They weren't permitted to take human form, that could lead to all sorts of suffering. (And

worse still, Free will.) But were now shamefully baroque sea horses.

"Where is the soap?" Noein demanded, splashing water in an unsoaped frenzy.

His Minions didn't know, they shook their inhuman heads sadly.

Noein had one of his petulant fits and punched several of his Minions.

Where was he going to get soap? He dismissed the obvious, for in his temper Noein could not

create things.

Noein paused.

He had had an idea.

----------------

Rub a dub dub, seven birds in a tub...

Thirteen eyes, six manhoods, (oh, and one set of female bits) seven spin weapons, fourteen

Dragon Warrior spirals, seven brains (we hope), lots of Reizu, purple braids, umbilicals, scars, quiffs, skins both dark and fair...

The Knights were relaxing and having a grand time, they chattered like jays, rubbed each

others backs pleasingly and were not scrapping for once in their lives.

It was a very small communal bath, and everyone was almost sat upon each other, (And Tobi

was sat upon Isukas lap, in order to stop him getting squashed.) Carefully angling themselves to present their backs to whoever was next to them.

"Where's the soap?" Asked Karasu lamely.

Everyone shuffled round, searching.

"It's on the side behind Kuina." Isuka offered, pointing with a huge drippy paw.

Wordlessly Kuina reached behind him and handed the soap to his surly tempered subordinate.

Karasu took it "Pink soap?" He gave a quick glare at an oblivious Kosagi, who was wondering whose arm was about her waist.

"Yeah, its so we don't mistake it for Tobis...Owf!"

Tobi quickly narded Isuka in the gut.

"I like pink soap." Said Fukuro "it reminds me of girls."

Kosagi checked to see if it was Fukuros arm around her. To her vague disappointment,

(Kosagi wanted to hit someone.) She was certain it wasn't.

"I don't care what colour the soap is." Said Karasu.

"That's cos your an Existiencal Nihilist," said Atori, tugging Tobi off Isukas lap and onto

his own before a fight broke out.

Karasu glowered." You don't know what that means!"

"Aw, Quit it, Karasu, don't start a scrap" Fukuro told them.

Karasu flipped from his bottom to his knees in preparation for a swing, though whether at

Atori or Fukuro, none could say.

Tobi ducked under water.

"Time out, Karasu," Growled Kuina, finally releasing Kosagis waist and deftly grabbing his

angsty birds umbilical. (Something normally forbidden.)

"Hey!" Kosagi finally realised who had been touching her.

The bath erupted in an unseemly wrestling match.

The Shangrila Minion took that opportunity to materialise, grab the soap with its prehensile

arm, and vanish back to its nightmarish world.

Time stopped.

"Noein!" Came the cry from seven throats. (Tobi had resurfaced.)

All hell broke loose. Isuka and Atori leapt bodily from the bath, dragging a protesting Tobi

along with them

Isuka clambered out more slowly, He paused long enough to call his layze clothing and cloak

about him, and pelted off.

Kosagi and Karasu teleported to parts unknown.

Kuina sighed angrily, and called up his computer.

There `had` been interdimensional activity, but it was over now. Why hadn't he been warned

by the Observers?

` He wearily climbed out of the bath, and stomped after his flying birds.

There was nothing but the sound of trickling water in the bathroom.

* * *

Noein snatched the soap in high glee.

"Just what I needed," he said to himself, applying it enthusiastically.

He did not thank the Minion, who was simply dismissed to the oblivion of the Gestalt.

* * *

Seven unhappy birds sat in a row along the edge of the hatch.

They had ranged all over Lacryma in search of the errant Minion and more importantly, the

missing soap.

No such luck.

Tobi had jacked into the mainframe (always his answer to problems. Neural oblivion.) He

sat, eyes shut, his reizu sensors idly circling his head.

"If we had been watching that would never have happened." Grumbled Fukuro.

The others stared around in dumb rage.

Kuina called up his Chronograph (2). (A vital part of any time travellers equipment.) "Look

guys, Its way past curfew, you lot should be in your bunks, now scram, I'll deliver a report to the Rulers."

One of the many perks of being a ruler of Lacryma was you was up all hours.

"But Noein..." Said Isuka

"Quit it, That wasn't Noein, it wasn't even a Destructor, it was just a Minion."

Kosagi glared at her leader. "A Minion who snuck into our bathhouse, into the place we feel

most secure."

The others nodded glumly.

"He saw us NAKED, dammit." continued Kosagi.

Fukuro shook his head. "I don't think there's much to give Noein a thrill there."

Kosagi gave the ponytailed Knight a very ugly look.

"I think Noeins gotten beyond such cheap tricks," said Atori, trying to make peace for once.

"He hasn't a body himself." Tobi added, suddenly aware again of his position. "Yup, a

Minion...and its long gone."

"What are we doing pelting around like headless chickens?" Asked Isuka who was ready to let

the subject lie.

"Don't you knuckleheads realise? Noein stole my soap!" Kosagi was getting hysterical.

"We was all using it," Said Isuka.

"Yes. Because out of the goodness of my heart, I lent it to you." Kosagi shook a fist at nothing in particular.

Karasu, silent as ever, began to ponder if there was any goodness in Kosagis heart.

He rather doubted it

"I don't let that spiritually rarefied bastard steal `my` soap! He will think he can get away with `anything` now."

Karasu shook his still damp head. "Oh, he already does that."

-----------

"Shit" said Tobi.

The others stood watching Fukuro ready the portal in the Transporter room.

"He's actually going to do it." Said Karasu bemusedly.

Isuka shook his head, "do what?"

"Jump to Shangrila and punch Noeins face in." Atoris eyes were gleaming with homicidal delight.

Fukuro plugged in his pipeline. "No boys." He gave the thumbs up to the Observer who operated the transportation portal; and dropped out of sight.

Kosagi shook her head sadly.

Karasu nodded sagely, "Well, I wouldn't do that..."

The winch cranking, and Fukuro rising again interrupted him.

------

Isami was alone. Ai was in one of her moods, and wasn't speaking to him. Haruka and Yu were out in the woods walking Baron. Isami, didn't feel like traipsing though the woods after the big white dog, so he was outside his house, playing with his football.

He batted it idly back and forth, rebounding it off the wall. Boy, was he bored.

Isami looked up. Blue snow. He tensed. Holding his ball protectively to his chest. "What idiot is it now?" The tousle haired boy growled. He had wanted something interesting...But not this.

Fukuro materialised and snapped back his layze cloak with most unnecessary drama. "Hi"

"You!" Accused Isami,

At least it wasn't one of the more Notorious Dragon Knights.

"Yes, who do you think it was? The Demon King?"

"Anytime one of you guys pops up; there is big trouble! Yes, it might as well be the Demon

King..." Isami waved his football in rage.

"If you mean Atori, he's in the Looney bin having his brain minced." Fukuro lied.

"You're mental."

"And if you mean Noein...I have it on good account, he's in the bath."

Isami had nothing to say to that. The sooner this time travelling pest went sashaying back

to his own dimension, the better.

"I'm not going to create a Paradox today."

"Well, that's something to be thankful for." Growled Isami, he threw his ball at Fukuro, who

caught it. (Isami wouldn't have cared if it had gone straight though the pesky older version of himself.) Fukuro bounced it up and down, heading it, spinning it on one finger. He bounced it down, and kicked it to Isami, who automatically kicked it back.

This game continued for a few minutes.

"So, what are `you` doing here? You didn't come all this way in order to play with me." He

paused. "I hope your not going to harass Haruka." He paused again. "Her mother says if she catches any one of you lot sitting on her roof ever again she's going to get the hose out. And Miss Yukies laptop has never been the same since Tobi programmed it with upgrades which don't exist yet! (We don't even talk about Kosagis visit to the Betting shop!)"

"Did she?" Asked Fukuro bemusedly.

"Yes, You shouldn't be here. The whole town is in up in arms against your gang."

Fukuro had never heard of the exalted Dragon Knights being referred to as a `gang` before.

Except perhaps by Kosagi in one of her better (i.e. nastier) moods. "We are not such a bad

lot." He said feebly.

Isami shrugged, "this is Hakodate, not Tokyo or even Osaka...We are pretty conservative

here. None of your `Breaking the Laws of Physics` tricks."

Fukuro was crestfallen. "Well, that's made my day."

"You may be one of the protectors of Humanity but in this town you're just a bunch of black

robed nutjobs, who lurk in the woods, scavenge in dustbins and are wanted by the cops for continual Breach of the Piece."

The Dragon Knight wilted, It was true that none of them (with the exception, perhaps, of

Tobi and Atori, who were happy anywhere that offered limitless beach holidays.) Had ever achieved integration with this dimension.

And people threw out so much good food...

Fukuro dismissed his layze cloak. Isami flinched; he could never get used to the Dragon

Knights powers. "Better?"

Isami shook his head "you now look like a leather t shirted hooligan. And those tattoos on

your arms!"

"This happens to be my layze skin, and the reizu bands of my order."

"I have it on good account you're a street tough." Isami paused, foot on ball. "I, on the

other hand, am a good citizen."

"Oh, you are a good boy...I hope." He had had this conversation with his younger version

before.

Whereas Karasu lectured Yu, it was Fukuro who got the scoldings.

Isami shoved the ball away; he advanced on Fukuro, "I'll have you know, in the future. I'll

have TWO eyes!"

Fukuro suddenly grabbed Isamis wrist in an iron grip, "I'd like that too...And there's another

thing I'd like."

"Let me go."

"I'd like a bar of soap. We Black Robed nutjobs like to be clean."

Isami was silent.

"Get me a bar of soap, and I'll stop being a pest. I'll go back home to Lacryma and I promise

never to come and tease you unless I'm sent here on `official Business`"

Isami nodded, Official Business means Noein.

And Hakodate needed the help of the Dragon Knights then.

Isami leaned into Fukuros red symboled chest, he was rather fond of the scarred Knight, even

if he could never quite believe Fukuro was the future him. "I love you really."

"Good boy. I'll wait here." He released Isamis arm.

Isami grabbed up his ball and ran round the corner to the house he shared with his

grandmother and older brother. In the bathroom cupboard he found soap. A whole half dozen

pack, in fact, as his grandmother frugally bought it in bulk. Isami paused, remembering the

time Fukuro had bodyslammed Tsunyoshi, his too exuberant but adoring elder brother. Isami

had been glad of the big Dragon Knight giving the galloot his comeuppance. He grabbed up

the pack, and one other bar. (Not wanting to cause spin weaponry fights amongst his

Nemesis's) and ran back out.

Fukuro was sat upon the wall. The happy look on his face was fair payment for isamis

generosity.

"Here you are, one bar each. Don't eat it." Isami admonished.

"Thanks." Fukuro rematerialised his layze habit, in preparation to giving the mental recall

signal. "That will keep the lot of us clean for the next few months."

Isami waved cheerily, "bye, for now, and send my love to your gang. My gang love you too!"

He smiled archly; "they say the towns so dull when the Dragon Knights are not around."

"You know, they say that in Lacryma too." Fukuro joked, "best get back."

He vanished in a shower of blue reizu sparks.

* * *

"Fukuro, Fukuro," sighed Kuina.

"Yes..." Asked that person, a merry gleam in his lone eye. "What is wrong?"

"You used the Transportation room to go get soap!"

The others laughed merrily, good mood returned. Only Fukuro would have the gall for such

frivolous action.

"How am I going to explain this to the Rulers?"

"Tell them that it would be much easier if in future, they made sure we had more soap." Advised Isuka.

"Well, we have plenty of soap now." Kosagi smiled, her inner female in delight at the sight of

so many bars.

Kuina shook his head, "and just where did you go?? No, I can guess."

"He went to Miss Yukie!" Said Atori happily. He was rather fond of her.

Fukuro shook his head. "Isami in fact."

"I can't recall him ever owning that much soap," growled Karasu.

"Oh, you would be surprised."

* * *

(1) Faucet. Ever notice in SP books they say `faucet` instead of `tap`?

(2) Chronograph. yup, `Chronograph`, not `watch`, like us non time travellers have.


End file.
